Politics And Letters: Gisbert Cuper As A Servant Of Two Republics

10.1163/ej.9789004202696.i-280.12

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Chapter Summary

In 1632, the humanist scholar Caspar Barlaeus officially opened the newly established Amsterdam Atheneum with his inaugural lecture Mercator sapien. A distinction should be made between merchant-agents active for other book and art dealers—in other words, merchants working for merchants—and merchant-agents acting on behalf of customer clients. The Deutz' collections in turn stimulated a younger merchant generation interested in cultural pursuits. Philip de Flines, member of a dynasty of textile traders who were in business with the Deutz firm, brought together an ambitious art gallery of classical sculpture, and Italian paintings and drawings. The history of cultural transfer in the early modern period cannot be written without acknowledging the significance of these businessmen as key figures in the system of agency: as facilitators— building and maintaining international financial and postal networks and distribution routes—as representatives and agents; and as collectors themselves.